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2014: The Sporting Year In Pictures

Updated / Tuesday, 30 Dec 2014 16:30

An interested spectator keeps an eye on the peloton during the Tour de Singkarak in Padang, Indonesia

Our selection of the most stunning sports photographs from Ireland and around the world in 2014. With thanks to Inpho Photography and Getty Images.

The Michigan State Spartans celebrate their 24-20 victory against the Stanford Cardinal in the 100th Rose Bowl Game on 1 January

Eoin Reddan and Sean Cronin under the rainbow at Leinster training early in the New Year

Game one of the International Twenty20 series between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena in Hobart

Closer to home, there were foggy conditions for St Mary's and Fermanagh in the McKenna Cup

Maria Sharapova of Russia serves in her second round match against Karin Knapp of Italy during the 2014 Australian Open

Runners ease down after finishing at Leopardstown racecourse

Brisk January training at Zurich Inneoin Introduction Day in Switzerland

Jose Mourinho makes a point to the referee during the match between Hull City and Chelsea at KC Stadium

An early season battle between Sligo and Galway in the first round of the Connacht FBD Football League

Megan Pardoe of Western Australia and Amy Barry-Macaulay of Victoria in action during the 2014 Australian Underwater Hockey Championships

Kerry's Mikey Geaney under pressure from Thomas Hegarty of CIT during the McGrath Cup Semi-Final

Captain Shane Coughlan and the UCC Demons' players are introduced ahead of thier National Cup Semi-Final against Killester

Reigning All-Ireland hurling champions Clare warm up ahead of the Waterford Crystal Cup Quarter-Final

Olympic rings - with one failing to form - during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Paul O'Connell feels the force of a collapsed scrum during the Six Nations match between Ireland and Wales on 8 February

Shane Gore, Tom Reynolds, Jamie David and Steven Colver pictured moments after crossing the line at the 60m Irish National Indoor heats

Team Russia huddle before their match against Switzerland in the Women's Ice Hockey quarter finals at the Winter Olypics in Sochi

Jo Alexander Koppang of Norway in the Luge during a training session at Sochi

Ireland's Seamus O'Connor in action at the Men's Slopestyle Snowboarding

Brian O'Driscoll during the team photograph at Ireland's captain's run on 7 March

Whisper with Nico de Boinville on board wins the Coral Cup during Ladies Day at Cheltenham Festival

The peloton during Stage Five of the Volta a Catalunya from Llanars to Valls

Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on during the trophy ceremony after losing to Novak Djokovic in the Sony Open in Florida

Shamrock Rovers' Ryan Brennan and Paddy Kavanagh of Bohs get acquainted on 21 March

Ireland's Jenny Murphy stretches to score against Italy in the Women's Six Nations

Cork's Anthony Nash pictured taking a 'Nash free' against Tipp

Castletroy's Rory Cunningham lands awkwardly in the Munster Schools Senior Cup Semi-Final

A Toughmudder competitor at Phillip Island in Australia

Fergal Redmond braces for impact at the Irish National Elite Championships

Besart Berisha of Brisbane Roar got a red card for this tackle

Dean Walsh jumps for joy as he is declared the winner over Michael Nevin at the Elite Championships

Young fencers learn their skills on the streets

Spain's Pablo Larrazabal jumps into a water hazard to avoid attacking hornets at the Malaysian Open on 18 April

Runners during the Boylesports Handicap Steeplechase at Fairyhouse

The quarterback's view of the snap at Kenneth P LaValle Stadium in New York

The Women's 100 Metre Freestyle heats at the Irish Long Course Swimming Championships

A pop-up casts a shadow as Logan Forsythe and James Loney of the Tampa Bay Rays attempt to make a catch against Baltimore

Ruby Walsh falls at Cheltenham

Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez crashes at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix

A firm challenge on Travis Hamonic of the New York Islanders during the Nassau Veterans Memorial

The crowd watches Ronnie O'Sullivan in action at the World Snooker Championship

A crash at Kansas Speedway

The scene ahead of the game that saw Ireland clinch the Six Nations title against France

Early morning workouts ahead of the 140th Kentucky Derby

An underwater shot from Iron Man Lanzarote

Sligo Rovers celebrate winning the Setanta Cup

The Red Bull X Fighters World Tour

Daniel Carrico of Sevilla FC celebrates after Stephane Mbia scored his team's first goal in the Europa League Semi Final

Conor McGregor would bring UFC to a much wider Irish audience in 2014

Rory McIlroy celebrates his victory beneath the big screen at Wentworth

Iker Casillas of Real Madrid fails to stop the ball headed in by Atletico's Diego Godin in the Champions League Final

Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria plays a forehand from the shadows at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis

Neymar salutes the Brazilian crowd as World Cup 2014 opens well for the host nation

Jan Huntelaar celebrates scoring for teh Dutch against Mexico

Steam rises from the scrum in a Junior World Championship match between New Zealand and South Africa

Giorgio Chiellini shows evidence of what would become one of the stories of the World Cup

A shot from the platform at the Red Bill Cliff Diving chgampionships in Texas

James Jones of Seattle fails to reach a fly ball against LA in Anaheim

The runners are off at the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park

Wexford's Liam Og McGovern takes a hit from the knee of Jack Browne of Clare

The World Cup would not end well for Brazil, who were humiliated in the semi final - much to the dismay of the Brazilian nation

And Germany took home the World Cup after defeating Argentina at the Maracana

The Peloton on Stage Two of the Tour de France

The old Pairc uí Chaoimh hosts its last Munster Final and the occasion was marked by a win for the Cork hurlers

Canada’s Samir El-Mais lands a punch on David Light of New Zealand at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

Swimmer Dinka of Slovakia at the FINA World Masters Championships in Montreal

Penn State and University of Central Florida met in Croke Park in an US college football game

The running of the bulls in San Fermin

Kilkenny and Limerick met in torrential rain in Croke Park on 10 August

Dane Sanzenbacher of the Cincinnati Bengals dives to score a touchdown as Jerron McMillian of the Kansas City Chiefs defends

A three-way crash at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee

Rory McIlroy hits his second shot on the 18th hole on his way to victory at the PGA Championship at Valhalla

Marty Morrissey took the ice bucket challenge in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association

The captains of the six teams that contested the All-Ireland Camogie Finals

Pieter Devos of Belgium riding Dylano competes on the final day of the Masters tournament at Spruce Meadows

One Mayo fan was particularly unimpressed with the officials during his side's semi-final loss against Kerry

Darth Vader throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Seattle Mariners take on the Texas Rangers in Arlington

Didn't see that coming - These faithful Dublin fans discuss where it all went wrong after the Dubs fell to Donegal

The 2014 All-Ireland hurling final again went to a replay after Tipprary and Kilkenny finished level

A competitor in the rhythmic gymnastics swirls at the Youth Olympic Games in China

Croke Park seen reflected in the sunglasses of a fan ahead of the All-Ireland football final

The sun shines on Donegal's Karl Lacey as he leaves the field dejected after his side's defeat to Kerry

And Croke Park was again bathed in sunlight during the All-Ireland hurling final replay - Kilkenny took home Liam MacCarthy once more

John O'Shea celebrates a last gasp equaliser for Ireland against Germany in October

An enhanced shot of Team Europe before their victorious Ryder Cup weekend

The Chinese women's synchronised swimming team

Na Piarsaigh's Michael Casey breaks Gavin O'Mahony hurley during the Limerick SHC final against Kilmallock

Onboard Team Vestas Wind as the boat surfs at 25 knots during the Volvo Ocean Race between Alicante and Cape Town

Blessing Awodibu from Dublin won the gold medal at the Arnold Classic Europe in the Junior U23 category (pic Paul Cullen)

Ballinderry players confront the umpire over a goal during the Ballinderry vs Slaughtneil Derry SFC final...

DJ Howard of the Clemson Tigers goes head over heels against the Syracuse Orange in South Carolina

Billy Dennehy of Cork City reacts after missing a goal chance against Bohemians

Bai Yawen of China performs on the Balance Beam during the Women's Balance Beam final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships

JaVale McGee of the Denver Nuggets gets up close and personal with a surprised fan at Pepsi Center in Colorado

John Joe Nevin knocks down Jack Heath during their featherweight clash

Cain Bradley helps out selling programmes ahead of the Ulster SFC quarter-final game between Omagh and Crossmaglen

Ireland's Aidan O'Shea is tightly marked by Australia's Brodie Smith during the International Rules Test in Perth

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr pulls off a miraculous one-handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

A competitor glides over the water in the ladies waterski slalom at the Asian Beach Games in Phuket

253 and counting - Lionel Messi sets a new La Liga goalscoring record in Barcelona's win over Sevilla at the Nou Camp

Paul O'Connell soars against Australia as Ireland claimed a famous win

Australian batsman Phil Hughes died being hit by a bouncer at the end of November

A brave save by Ken Garry of Rhode in the Leinster SFC final in Navan

Ireland's Laura Crowe collapses after finishing the European Cross Country Championships in Samokov Bulgaria

Leinster's Dominic Ryan, Jack Conan and Devin Toner try to block Danny Care of Harlequins clearance at the Aviva Stadium

Limerick's Andy Lee becomes WBO Champion in Las Vegas

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